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Have a little theater with dinner

Cast of the play "Self Help," from left to right is Bernice the maid, played by Laura Bradford, Hal Savage, played by Chip Morris, Jeremy "Cold Hard" Cash, played by David Otzel, Cindy Savage, played by Marsha Benningfield, Ruby, played by Judi Zanetti and Detective Snow, played by Gene Zanetti.

Published: Friday, January 20, 2006 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, January 19, 2006 at 7:12 p.m.

Facts

SELF HELP

A dinner theater presentation to benefit Central Florida Community College scholarship fund.Where: Webber Center, Central Florida Community College
When: Jan. 25-Feb. 5. Doors open nightly at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m. and performance at 7:30 p.m.; matinees on Saturdays and Sundays doors open at noon, dinner at 12:30 p.m. and performance at 2 p.m.
Cost: $45/person.
For more information: 854-2322.

There's something appealing about an all-in-one dinner-and-show dinner theater package - they feed you and clean up while you get a show without ever having to leave your seat, except for potty breaks.
This long has been a popular form of entertainment for patrons while giving up-and-coming actors a chance to rub elbows with older stars winding down from more-limelighted careers.
They're not all like Kevin Kline's in "Soapdish."
The National Dinner Theater Association boasts 41 full-time professional theaters across the country from upstate New York to Southern California. There are hundreds more around the country not associated with NDTA; perhaps as many as a dozen of them in Florida. Burt Reynolds even owned one in Jupiter.
But there's not a permanent one here. The nearest to Ocala are in Orlando and Jacksonville.
No, the closest Marion County comes to dinner theater are the periodic mystery dinners at Seven Sisters Inn or when the Square Theatre troupe hosts a weekend run or Belleview High's Madrigal Dinners at Christmas.
So, it's a big deal when a dinner theater does raise the curtain hereabouts, if only for a fortnight - like "Self Help" to benefit the Central Florida Community College Foundation scholarship fund.
The comedy-farce opens Wednesday at the Webber Center for a 13-show run through Feb. 5. Most of the performances are sold out already, although some seats remain available for several shows, says Barbara Griffin, the Foundation's special events coordinator.
"Usually by the end of the two weeks next year's performances are more than half booked," she says. "It's kind of a badge of honor to sign up that night and pay for next year."
In the seven years the merry band led by Dr. Gene Zanetti, an Ocala optometrist, and radio personality Chip Morris has been producing dinner shows for the foundation, proceeds rotate through the different schools at CFCC.
Profits from this eighth annual presentation specifically benefit dental assisting scholarships, Griffin says.Speaking of "assisting," the play "Self Help" lampoons the genre of self-help gurus who flood the airwaves with infomercials and auditorium stages with "inspirational" seminars.
Morris and Ocala Civic Theatre-regular Marsha Benningfield portray down-on-their-luck dinner theater performers who develop a self-help scam - the Savage Way!
Passing themselves off as spouses, the "Savages" get more than they bargained for when their "way" catches on. What's that old saying about being wary of what you wish for?
"The way playwright Norm Foster creates the crazy situations with the characters and the farcical elements of the the play are very fast paced," says director Carlos Asse. "It makes this play fun to put on."
For weeks now the cast has taken over the lobby of Zanetti's office most nights for rehearsal. "We can't get into the Webber to put up our sets until the Sunday before we open," he says.
Not ones to take anything but their comedy seriously, the fun begins with the player bios. Don't expect to gain any special insights from these blurbs other than these players are spoofers extraordinaire.
"Since day one we've made up fake bios for the program," Zanetti says. "One year we all were former child actors."This year the ensemble is a collection of FEMA and Gulf Coast officials fired for incompetence in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. But they're all doing a heckuva job!
Despite the gruelling schedule of rehearsals and nightly performances - two performances on each of the two Saturdays of the run - these players do it all for love of the benefit.
Says Morris: "I can't write out a check for $10,000. But I can do a play.
"And they feed us - occasionally, if there's any food left."
Which brings us to the "dinner" in this dinner theater.
Also in for a gruelling two weeks is Al Ellatter of Brick City Restaurant and Catering in Silver Springs Shores. Not only will he be on hand overseeing food service for every performance, but his restaurant miles away will remain open.
He says he's up for the challenge.
After all, Ellatter's been catering in the area for a dozen years at events ranging from fund-raisers for Gov. Jeb Bush to feeding out-of-state electric utility linemen here to restore service after 2004's hurricanes. And his tables at the annual Taste of Ocala always are among the most popular.
"The food is going to be really nice," he says. "It's important to me because I plan to do this again next year.
"Like I tell my clients," Ellatter adds, "I can make you look like a million bucks. But to do that I've got to look like a hundred million."
And he says he's got all the "help" he needs.
___________
Rick Allen can be reached at rick.allen@starbanner.com or 867-4122.

There's something appealing about an all-in-one dinner-and-show dinner theater package - they feed you and clean up while you get a show without ever having to leave your seat, except for potty breaks.<BR>
This long has been a popular form of entertainment for patrons while giving up-and-coming actors a chance to rub elbows with older stars winding down from more-limelighted careers.<BR>
They're not all like Kevin Kline's in "Soapdish."<BR>
The National Dinner Theater Association boasts 41 full-time professional theaters across the country from upstate New York to Southern California. There are hundreds more around the country not associated with NDTA; perhaps as many as a dozen of them in Florida. Burt Reynolds even owned one in Jupiter.<BR>
But there's not a permanent one here. The nearest to Ocala are in Orlando and Jacksonville.<BR>
No, the closest Marion County comes to dinner theater are the periodic mystery dinners at Seven Sisters Inn or when the Square Theatre troupe hosts a weekend run or Belleview High's Madrigal Dinners at Christmas.<BR>
So, it's a big deal when a dinner theater does raise the curtain hereabouts, if only for a fortnight - like "Self Help" to benefit the Central Florida Community College Foundation scholarship fund.<BR>
The comedy-farce opens Wednesday at the Webber Center for a 13-show run through Feb. 5. Most of the performances are sold out already, although some seats remain available for several shows, says Barbara Griffin, the Foundation's special events coordinator.<BR>
"Usually by the end of the two weeks next year's performances are more than half booked," she says. "It's kind of a badge of honor to sign up that night and pay for next year."<BR>
In the seven years the merry band led by Dr. Gene Zanetti, an Ocala optometrist, and radio personality Chip Morris has been producing dinner shows for the foundation, proceeds rotate through the different schools at CFCC.<BR>
Profits from this eighth annual presentation specifically benefit dental assisting scholarships, Griffin says.Speaking of "assisting," the play "Self Help" lampoons the genre of self-help gurus who flood the airwaves with infomercials and auditorium stages with "inspirational" seminars.<BR>
Morris and Ocala Civic Theatre-regular Marsha Benningfield portray down-on-their-luck dinner theater performers who develop a self-help scam - the Savage Way!<BR>
Passing themselves off as spouses, the "Savages" get more than they bargained for when their "way" catches on. What's that old saying about being wary of what you wish for?<BR>
"The way playwright Norm Foster creates the crazy situations with the characters and the farcical elements of the the play are very fast paced," says director Carlos Asse. "It makes this play fun to put on."<BR>
For weeks now the cast has taken over the lobby of Zanetti's office most nights for rehearsal. "We can't get into the Webber to put up our sets until the Sunday before we open," he says.<BR>
Not ones to take anything but their comedy seriously, the fun begins with the player bios. Don't expect to gain any special insights from these blurbs other than these players are spoofers extraordinaire.<BR>
"Since day one we've made up fake bios for the program," Zanetti says. "One year we all were former child actors."This year the ensemble is a collection of FEMA and Gulf Coast officials fired for incompetence in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. But they're all doing a heckuva job!<BR>
Despite the gruelling schedule of rehearsals and nightly performances - two performances on each of the two Saturdays of the run - these players do it all for love of the benefit.<BR>
Says Morris: "I can't write out a check for $10,000. But I can do a play.<BR>
"And they feed us - occasionally, if there's any food left."<BR>
Which brings us to the "dinner" in this dinner theater.<BR>
Also in for a gruelling two weeks is Al Ellatter of Brick City Restaurant and Catering in Silver Springs Shores. Not only will he be on hand overseeing food service for every performance, but his restaurant miles away will remain open.<BR>
He says he's up for the challenge.
After all, Ellatter's been catering in the area for a dozen years at events ranging from fund-raisers for Gov. Jeb Bush to feeding out-of-state electric utility linemen here to restore service after 2004's hurricanes. And his tables at the annual Taste of Ocala always are among the most popular.<BR>
"The food is going to be really nice," he says. "It's important to me because I plan to do this again next year.<BR>
"Like I tell my clients," Ellatter adds, "I can make you look like a million bucks. But to do that I've got to look like a hundred million."<BR>
And he says he's got all the "help" he needs.<BR>
___________<i>
Rick Allen can be reached at rick.allen@starbanner.com or 867-4122.</i>